Role Checklist
Six questions to confirm a player fits the role you are shortlisting them for. Print it, fill it in for each candidate. Five minutes, three answers per candidate.
Research Toolkit
The four instruments we use before publishing.
Most of what we publish is downstream of four instruments used at the desk before any prediction ships. The toolkit area of this site collects those instruments, so readers can apply the same thinking to their own fantasy selections.
Toolkit
Four instruments, six questions each
Pitch Strip Reader
A two-minute visual checklist for reading length, colour, and grass cover before the toss. Save the printout for the captaincy decision later.
Weather & Dew Log
Two-week dew and wind archive by venue. The probability of "bat-first wins" becomes a real signal at sample size ten or more.
Squad Depth Index
Score each squad on bench quality by role. Helps decide if a 1.5x player is worth the gamble on a thin-roster side.
The observation kit
Most fantasy decisions happen at the screen. The desk adds three instruments: binoculars for the practice-net read, a weather meter for dew and humidity at the toss, and a pencil-and-paper checklist for the role scoring.
What the binoculars add
Practice nets reveal role clarity. A bowler landing in the same area six balls in a row is signalling role stability; a bowler landing in three different areas is in role flux. Pick the stable ones.
Weather
Weather measurement
Dew and humidity can be measured at the toss in 60 seconds. We use two independent sources and only treat the highest as a factor when both agree.
Checklist
The selection checklist
- Confirm the venue and surface reading — five minutes.
- Confirm the dew forecast from two sources — five minutes.
- Confirm the role weightings — ten minutes.
- Shortlist three players per role — fifteen minutes.
- Wait for the toss and the chase/bowl call — ten minutes.
- Lock the XI and captaincy — five minutes.
Related areas
Continue your reading
FAQ
Toolkit questions
Are these tools apps or written guides?
Neither — they are frameworks. Each tool is a worksheet or checklist our editors use before publishing. Open the page, follow the questions, and you have a defensible XI by the end.
Which tool should I start with?
The Role Checklist. It is the most foundational of the four and produces the clearest signal about which roles you actually need for the upcoming match.
Do the tools work for all formats?
Yes. The frameworks are designed to work across T20, ODI, and franchise formats. Format-specific callouts are highlighted where they apply.
Can I save my notes online?
Not in our version — keep a printed or local copy. That said, we are working on a companion PDF for offline use; check back periodically.